CHI Innovation Cycle

System Innovation

We believe that to achieve, spread and sustain innovation, a systems approach is required. The Innovation Cycle is a framework to describe the macro stages for planning, implementing and improving upon innovation initiatives. The framework comprises three sequential stages, with each stage supported by iterative Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle(s).

The cycle advocates that:
(1) the first step to innovation in healthcare is to redesign the care/process to optimize value for patients and reduce waste, followed by
(2) automation of a waste-free process. By leveraging automation and adopting technology to take over simple, repetitive but necessary jobs, manpower resources are freed up. This presents
(3) an opportunity to review the staffs’ current roles and redesign their jobs, so that each staff performs more meaningful work at the top of his or her competencies.

The Innovation Cycle is a deliberate and iterative framework to describe and improve upon the process of improvement. If applied well, the framework can serve as a toolkit to guide the planning and implementation of strategic initiatives, to deliver value.